There are a lot of ways you can effectively stage your home to snag the attention of potential buyers, but there are often a few extra things you can do to really engage the senses of your guests. If you're hoping for an instant offer and are pulling out all the stops to sell your home, here are some ways you can emotionally engage with visitors to your home. Carefully Choose Your Color Scheme You probably already have a fairly distinct color palette in your home, from the couch you've purchased to the tone of your paint, but that doesn't mean you can't spice it up with a few carefully chosen … [Read More...]
When you've already placed your home on the market, it can seem like the stress is over once you've received the offer, but the buck doesn't stop there. Instead of being caught off guard when the time comes to negotiate, consider these tips that will assist in making the sale. Rely On Your Agent Once you're at the point where you've received an offer and are unsure as to whether you should take it, it's a good idea to sit down and discuss the options with your agent. Because a real estate professional will have plenty of experience with this part of the process, they'll be able to guide you … [Read More...]
Last week's housing related news was limited to Construction Spending and Freddie Mac's mortgage rates survey, but labor reports suggested an economic slowdown may be in the works. Construction Spending Slips in April, Mortgage Rates Mixed According to the Commerce Department, overall construction spending slipped in April to -1.80 percent as compared to March's reading of +1.50 percent and May's expected reading of +0.70 percent. Residential construction spending was 1.50 percent lower, which doesn't help ongoing shortages of available single-family homes. Builders have repeatedly cited labor … [Read More...]
It's often necessary to make a few small renovations before putting your home on the market, but it can be surprising to learn that summer can be a less expensive time for many common fix-ups. If you're wondering what you should renovate in the summer months, you may want to consider a few of the following for the sake of economy. Take On The Lawn In many cases, often-difficult weather conditions that the winter months can provide make a lot of things difficult, and tackling the state of your lawn is certainly among these. Since curb appeal is very important when it comes to the overall impact … [Read More...]
March home prices were again dominated by the Northwest with Portland, Oregon posting a year-over-year gain of 12.30 percent followed by Seattle, Washington's year-over-year gain of 10.80 percent. Denver, Colorado rounded out the top three cities with a year-over-year gain of 10.00 percent. San Francisco, California, which consistently posted double-digit gains in recent months slipped to a year-over-year gain of 8.50 percent. This may indicate that prices in high cost metro areas are nearing their peak. S&P Dow Jones Chair David M Blitzer attributed outsized price gains to the shortest … [Read More...]
It is common for home buyers to take steps to keep their out-of-pocket expenses to a minimum, and many will try to avoid paying for optional services for this reason. While you may not want to pay for all optional services, there are some that can be truly beneficial to you even if they are not required. After learning more about the services provided to you by a real estate attorney, you may be ready to seek out these professional legal services for your upcoming purchase. Explaining the Contract A real estate sales contract can be confusing to understand because parts of it use real estate … [Read More...]